Barbara Barrocas – July 9, 2017
One morning, at the age of nine, my mother heard me fall while I was in the shower. I had just had my first seizure and was rushed to the hospital. A week later I had two more seizures and was referred to a neurologist and was diagnosed with Epilepsy. I was put on different medications but none seemed to work and the convulsions were becoming more frequent. I was finally put on a medication that worked but the side effects were awful. I was always tired, had difficulty concentrating, and had put on a lot of weight. I was falling behind in school and nearly failed the fourth grade. After three years of being seizure-free, my neurologist suggested that I be weaned from the medication to see if I had outgrown the condition, as children often do. At 16, I was often sleep deprived and stressed out from work and school and I had a relapse and had to be put on medication a second time. Six years passed with no seizures and I was taken off medication, once again. It didn’t take more than a few months before I had one…..and it was bad. I had fractured my mandible from the fall and as a result of the head injury, I had poor memory and frequently felt tongue-tied because I had difficulty articulating my thoughts for at least one year after the seizure. Stress and lack of sleep had been huge triggers in both of the relapses and I realized I needed to find a way to manage both.
A few months later, I had developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (an occupational hazard for massage therapists) and decided to try Acupuncture for the first time. The pain completely disappeared after a couple of treatments. I was also experiencing digestive issues for over a year and I’d had every test under the sun, with no diagnosis. I returned to my acupuncturist and within a few treatments and herbs, the symptoms were gone. This is when my passion for holistic medicine began. I enrolled in a four year acupuncture program and learned the incredible ability the body has to heal, with the proper care. During this time, I discovered how effective it was in reducing stress and anxiety, the top triggers for seizures. With the help of medication combined with acupuncture, meditation and proper rest, I am happy to report that I have been seizure-free for over 20 years.
After being in practice for more than 16 years, I am still amazed at the effects that acupuncture has had on the patients that come to my office and how it has improved the quality of their lives, (and mine, for that matter). The aim of acupuncture isn’t just to relieve the symptoms, but to treat the root cause of the illness, to treat the whole individual and naturally restore the balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the body and activate its own healing mechanism.
It is because of my own personal experiences that I have the passion, belief, knowledge and skills in holistic medicine. I continue to heal myself with acupuncture, herbal medicine and meditation. I am honored to offer these therapies to you, to help you on your journey to radiant health and happiness.